Banned Books Week events - September 27-29

The USF Polytechnic Library invites you to events during Banned Books Week.

Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. This year, the Week will take place September 24th to October 1st. Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship. It celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

Wednesday, September 28First Amendment Film Festival
SG Seminar Room LTB 1149
10:30AM-1PM – 1984
(with a group discussion led by Dr. Anne Price)
4PM-6PM – Shut Up & Sing
(with a group discussion led by Dr. John Lennon)
Both movies are rated R

Indeed, the name of the event is a bit confusing. Banned Books Week has been a national event in the US for over 25 years now, speared, among others, by the American Library Association. The USFP did not pick the name but continue to use it to join the national event.

The event wants to bring attention to the fact that there are still books that are being challenged or banned today. It also wants to promote the freedom to read and the freedom of expression. It could be assumed that they wanted a short title to the event; it is certainly against the banning of books and does not want to promote the practice!